SIBAT’s stepwise approach to suicide assessment and outcome management makes it especially effective in population studies and the large-scale risk of suicidality measurement in an at-risk
patient. Although not yet recommended in drug trials and survey research, the potential of SIBAT in suicidal ideation and behavior measurement remains significant.
Figure 3. The Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Assessment Tool (SIBAT) Modules
Note . From “SIBAT - A computerized assessment tool for suicidal ideation and behavior: Development and psychometric properties,” by Alphs, L. et al., 2022. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 19(4-6), 36-47. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9341319/).
● The possible establishment of a no-harm agreement Becker et al. (2020) further highlighted the outcome of a suicidality assessment by drafting a classification of suicide attempts by external circumstances. These classifications include: ● High ○ Method subjectively assessed as fatal, objectively dangerous ○ Discovery and rescue improbable or impossible ● Moderate ○ Method subjectively assessed as dangerous but not fatal ○ Discovery and rescue possible ● Low ○ Danger of the method subjectively assessed as only slight ○ Discovery and rescue possible and probable Other suicide assessment and severity classification tools currently used globally include the International Suicide Prevention Trial (InterSePT) Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and the Sheehan-Suicidality Tracking Scale (S-STS). In the U.S. alone, suicide accounts for 17.7% of all deaths recorded in youth in the 15 to 24 years age bracket. After a stable period from 2007 to 2017, suicide rates for persons aged 10-24 increased 56%. Specifically, suicide rates in youth ages 15-19 increased 76% and in persons aged 20-24 rates increased 36%, accounting for the majority of the overall 56% increase (Curtin & Heron, 2019). Becker et al. (2020) reported only 212 suicide cases in people between the ages of 10 and 20 years in Germany in 2017. However, about 40% of those surveyed reported a positive history of suicidal ideation, and about 9% reported suicide attempts in 2017. Surveys conducted on suicidality in the past decade reveal that most people with a positive history of suicide attempted it during their youth,
In a 2020 publication of the Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Becker et al. (2020) proposed a simple assessment tool for measuring suicidal ideations and behavior in childhood and adolescence. Although designed for use in Germany, the simplicity of this tool has earned it significant interest around the globe. This tool, now widely referenced in many scientific publications, is simple enough for easy comprehension and saves clinicians from the rigorous processes of interviews, response coding, and report integration. Becker et al. also published a draft list of questions for the clinical assessment of suicide risk in a patient who has expressed suicidal thoughts. These questions help the clinician identify the risk factors, social triggers, and protective factors that are consistent in adolescents exhibiting indications of suicidal ideation behavior. Other foci of these questions include: ● Family history of completed suicide ● Underling medical conditions serving as triggers or risk factors for suicide ● Frequency and severity of suicidal thoughts According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide is a significant burden affecting global healthcare policies. In Western countries, it is considered the second or third most common cause of death in the adolescent and youth age bracket. Every year, an estimated 800,000 individuals die from suicide-related causes globally. A substantial percentage of the reported deaths occur between early adolescence and young adulthood. In a 2017 release, the CDC reported that suicide was the second-highest cause of death in youth despite being the tenth-leading cause of death among all age groups (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2021). Considering the statistics, suicide seems to be more of a burden on the youth age bracket compared to other age groups. ● Assessment of self-harming behavior ● Assessment of fatal means of suicide
GLOBAL TRENDS AND PREVALENCE OF SUICIDE IN YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS Prevalence Rates
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Book Code: PYMA2024
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